Reactions to Robinson’s hiring — and how Debby may have had impact on how things played out

The latest and seriously updated version of our online story on the hiring of Larry Robinson as a Sharks associate coach under Todd McLellan is now available using the link in the right-hand column. But, per usual, a few things ended up on the cutting room floor.

I’d recommend heading over there first to read the attempt at a coherent narrative, then returning here for those missing elements.

Welcome back.

The two players I reached – Dan Boyle and Jason Demers – weren’t exactly shocked by the news there’d be at least one new voice on the coaching staff.

“When you don’t win the Stanley Cup, changes are going to happen,” Boyle said. “You lose players and sometimes you lose coaches. It’s a new face and a new way of looking at the game. Hopefully it’ll help us get back to where we need to be or go.”

So was he excited by the news Robinson was joining the staff?

“I’m excited to get going regardless of who’s behind the bench,” something that probably reads more dismissive than Boyle intended.

Demers sounded equally unsurprised by the news a new associate coach was on board, but a little more stoked.

“It was a disappointing year for everybody. We had to think there was going to be at least a couple changes, whether it be in the locker room or other places,” he said. “We were expecting maybe a little whiplash, but I wasn’t really paying that much attention to it.”

Demers said he listened all season as Colin White talked about his days in New Jersey and Robinson’s presence there.

“The way Whitey explains it, he brings his same style and passion to coaching,” Demers said. “He’s a great guy to have behind the bench.”

*****Credit the Montreal Gazette with hounding the story for at least the last week or so. There had been speculation Robinson would end up as part of the new regime in Montreal, and when that didn’t happen, writer Dave Stubbs caught up with the ex-defenseman at his off-season home in Florida.

That led to this article — http://www.montrealgazette.com/sports/Life+goes+Canadien+Robinson+says/6871833/story.html — and the one today that let the cat out of the bag.

According to the Gazette, Robinson and his wife, Jeannette, have been in San Jose the past three or four days. (Obviously I don’t get out of the house enough.) Things moved quickly after the Sharks contacted Robinson on July 1 – his official first day of availability after leaving New Jersey.

Robinson told the Montreal newspaper he was being reunited with a man “I’ve known longer than I’ll admit,” the Sharks GM having grown up in the same Ottawa Valley neighborhood as Jeannette.

The story also detailed Robinson’s dance with the Canadiens that ultimately didn’t work out.

Here’s an excerpt:

On several occasions, long-time Robinson friend and business agent/adviser Donny Cape has attempted to broker a deal to bring Robinson back to Montreal as a coach, team ambassador or both. For a variety of reasons, from awkward timing to telephone calls that were not returned by the club to team brass saying it was satisfied with its incumbent staff, a Robinson-Canadiens reunion has not taken place.

Now, Robinson’s NHL career resumes with the Sharks.

“I understand the Canadiens had to get going, they couldn’t wait,” Robinson said when we spoke July 1. “They decided, and they chose Daigneault. They had to move on in their task to improve their club.”

It was no secret that a number of NHL clubs had expressed interest in Robinson’s coaching talents. Complicating matters with the Canadiens was the fact that he was unable last month to come north for a face-to-face interview, tied down in Florida dealing with the onslaught of Hurricane Debby and the torrential rains that overflowed his swimming pool and swamped the 12-acre polo farm he co-owns, stabling and training polo horses.

But a couple of days after the Devils’ Stanley Cup final loss to the Los Angeles Kings, Bergevin contacted New Jersey president and GM Lou Lamoriello to ask permission to speak to Robinson to explore coaching possibilities. Under contract until midnight on June 30, the Canadiens were obligated to follow this route.

Lamoriello gave his permission and Bergevin placed his call, which preceded a brief phone chat between Robinson and Therrien.

“The fact that the Canadiens even thought about me coming there, Marc asking Lou permission, that’s an honour,” said Robinson, who forever has taken the high road in discussion about his former team. “It honestly took me by surprise.”

As Robinson mopped up in Florida, Cape kept in touch with Bergevin about the versatile role Robinson might play; there was also talk he could serve as a Habs ambassador. But with other teams having expressed interest in Robinson, the Canadiens broadened their defence-coach search, casting a wider net.

Therrien apparently liked Daigneault so much, the decision was made to hire him before Robinson had a chance to interview, as requested, for the job. A story in recent days in the Hartford Courant suggested that Daigneault received a contract at his home, without either having sought a job with the Canadiens or been interviewed in person.

“Nature didn’t help me get up to Montreal and have a formal discussion with them,” Robinson said of the hurricane and his delay to meet, upon the Canadiens request, with Therrien. “We can speculate all we want about whether that made a difference.”

Robinson was impressed that Bergevin called him on June 29, very shortly after the Daigneault hiring had been announced.

“Marc just kind of explained what went down,” Robinson said. “He had talked to Donny (Cape), who’d mentioned others teams had interest (in me) and that we weren’t going to make a decision while I was trying to clean up in Florida. I suppose the Canadiens had to cover themselves in the event I didn’t sign with them. So they chose someone else.

“I wished Marc luck and thanked him for the opportunity – at least for the thought – and we left it there.”

*****Obviously the hiring of Robinson as associate coach raises questions about the future of assistant coaches Matt Shaw and Jay Woodcroft. No answers yet, but both have a long history with McLellan — who I’m guessing has done all he could to keep them in the organization in one capacity or another.

David Pollak

David Pollak has been following the NHL forever and at the Mercury News as an editor or reporter since 1987. For almost a decade he wrote about the Sharks as the paper's Fan in the Stands before joining the sports department in 2001. He became the Sharks beat writer before the 2007-08 season and began this blog at that time. You can also follow him on Twitter at @PollakOnSharks.